Float

In the opening scene of Miyares’s (Pardon Me!) wordless story, two pairs of hands—one big, one small—fold newspaper into origami boats. In the spreads that follow, a boy in a yellow slicker ventures outside and waits for a downpour to end before launching his boat, which is instantly carried away by the swiftly flowing water. It slips down a storm drain, and when the boy reaches it at last, the once-proud craft is a sodden mess. At home, his father welcomes him with a hug, then holds a blow-dryer up to the boy’s wet hair. In an unexpectedly lovely moment, the boy grins widely as his hair blows sideways; readers sense his pleasure and relief. The warmth of his father’s care renews the boy, and he sets off for another adventure. Skilled draftsmanship and smart pacing distinguish Miyares’s visual storytelling. Seen against streets and houses of slate gray, the boy’s yellow slicker is the only bright color, underlining the sense that he’s in a world of his own. It’s a moment of childhood captured in multiple dimensions. Ages 4–8. Agent: Studio Goodwin Sturges. (June)